aNewDomain — Outdoor Retailer is a trade show that brings outdoor gear manufacturers, buyers and reporters together to see what’s next in clothes, backpacks and the outdoor lifestyle. So I headed out to Salt Lake City and made myself at home at Outdoor Retailer 2015. It wasn’t just gear and more gear, though. Not by a long shot. There were fun events, wine and even daily beer happy hours. And it was all for good causes, really.

See? That’s me drinking for a good cause, below.

First, I sampled some Prosecco at the Vibram booth.

Then I headed over to the Keen Happy Hour. Manufacturers like Keen and Klean Kanteen, the reusable bottle company, were selling signature beer cups to raise money for good causes. A $5 donation gets a donor a souvenir cup and free beer at various happy hours inside the Salt Palace, Salt Lake City’s Convention Center.

Like I said, it’s all for a good cause. I can raise a glass to that, for sure.

Anyway, I donated $5 to Keen to support its Live Monumental campaign. And I signed a petition for US President Barack Obama to designate five wilderness areas as monuments to protect wild areas for future generations. Attaining monument status is the first step in getting land set aside to be a national park. (For more on that, check out Keen Wants to Keep it Wild.)

At the show, several companies were raising money for causes they cared about.

Backpack maker Osprey put on a Packs to Parks Happy Hour at its booth to raise money for the National Park Foundation, a non-profit organization created by Congress in 1967 to allow private citizens to make contributions that directly support the National Park Service.

Osprey also sold Spring 2016 Skarab/Skimmer Men’s & Women’s Hydration Daypacks for $40 to raise additional funds for the National Park Foundation.

Something for every occasion

From luggage and backpacks to Biffy bags to help you create your own personal toilet when there’s no toilet for miles, I saw a bit of everything. The images below will give you an idea.

Biffy Bags create a portable toilet for times when nature calls and no bathroom is around.

Then there’s Granite Gear. This is an adventure gear company known for making durable gear that’s hardy enough to handle the elements — any elements, really — from Mt. Everest to the North and South Pole.

The VSNMobil V.360 is a video camera that captures everything around you. It’s really cool-looking.

And Altra was showing off its IQ smart running shoe, which pairs with an app to coach and improve your running. The shoes, shown at right, are expected to debut next spring.

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About the author

Terry Gardner

Based in Santa Monica, CA, Terry Gardner is a freelance journalist whose passion for travel, scuba diving and the environment led to a career as a travel journalist. She writes for various websites, including the Los Angeles Times and The Huffington Post. Terry's website is www.terrytravels.com. Her Twitter and Facebook handles are terrytravels1.